if and when something happens to mitt romney. this is to both of you all. how does he do that? >> well, you know, this is interesting. as the running mate to the challenger, this is probably paul ryan's most important thing tonight to convey mitt romney is the president and something happens to romney, is paul ryan ready to step in in the top job? some campaign officials are confident. why? because peter was talking about. command of the issues. house budget chairman. the command of the issues. they feel it allows himself to portray himself as ready and that's a big test of this. >> the flip side of the age difference, brooke, yes, the biggest of two vice president candidates in over a century, i believe. joe biden's very energetic. out there on the road campaigning and hanging out at dairy queen and comes off younger than he is and paul ryan is a serious man coming across as older and the age difference thing might be a little bit overblown, brooke. >> i was talking to his first real congressional major opponent in 1998 and she pointed out saying to him i could be your mother